Birthday

I had a great birthday!

John and Nick surprised me with balloons at breakfast. The sun was shining (it was supposed to rain all day). Nick made me "chocolates" (really just his K'NEX pieces in a treat bag from a party he went to on Monday). And, John & Nick both took me out to dinner. Yes, Nick took "Mommy" to dinner!


Nick told Daddy he wanted to pay for dinner -- too cute! So, we let him open his giraffe bank and he brought some of his coins to the restaurant. After dinner, Nick put 3 quarters (one for each of us) in the check folder. Granted, he was a little unsure about parting with his coins, but Daddy explained that's what "paying for dinner" meant. I was very proud of my little man. Then, I thanked Nick for buying me dinner and told him I loved him. As I gave him a big hug, he hugged me back and said, "Me, too!"

It really was a GREAT birthday!

Lunar Eclipse

Not only did the sun come out this week, but we had a beautiful
clear night to view the full lunar eclipse. Unfortunately, most of it happened behind our tall fir trees. But, once it got high enough,
we could go across the street to view it out front.

While the full moon was beautiful, its effects on a toddler aren't quite as impressive. Yes, . . . for most of the week, I have been subjected to the FMC (Full Moon Child). This is the child who wreaks havoc all day, climbs upstairs for nap time, rubs his eyes during story time, and then crawls under the covers to go to sleep. However . . . 10 minutes later, I will hear him singing, jumping in the crib, and kicking the crib just for the "fun" of it. He might go
to sleep for a few minutes after completing exhausting himself.

This is what I've found every day this week, when I've gone in to get him up (shirt and socks are always behind the crib).

Haircut

On Monday, I decided that Nick's hair was just too long. It was getting in his eyes and tickling his ears.

So, off to the Barbers we went.

The haircut started OK, with Nick sitting on my lap. But, it ended with full on kicking, screaming, tears, and, I swore, child services was in the wings ready to pounce as soon as we were done.

The good part . . . our hair cutter was very patient/calm . . . the sad part . . . his hair isn't short enough over his ears :-(

Sunshine

Something NEW happened this week . . . the SUN came out!

OK . . . it has made an appearance before. But, this time, the wood chips weren't "floating" at the park anymore. So, we took a long walk around the neighborhood with my friend Shelley and detoured past the park on our way home. Although the sun was out, it was still chilly.


Nick is NOT quite tall enough to get on the swing by himself.






BUT, once he's on . . .

he's a DAREDEVIL!

February Celebrations

February has definitely been a month of celebrations. Here are some of the highlights from our gatherings.

Chinese New Year
On Sunday the 10th, we hosted this year's Chinese New Year dinner. We hung up some red and gold decorations (gold symbolizes power; red symbolizes happiness) and our zodiac banners from China
(Hare = John; Horse = Sheri; Monkey = Nicholas).

Click on the image to see a LARGER view.

We tried to include several foods that held symbolic significance. What gives a certain food symbolic significance? Sometimes it is based on appearance. For example:

Noodles - A long life; it's bad luck to cut them.
Spring Rolls - Wealth (because their shape is similar to gold bars)
Tangerines - Luck (the Chinese word for tangerine sounds like luck)
Chicken - Happiness and marriage
Peanuts - A long life

Our dinner consisted of tangerines, Longevity Noodles, spring rolls, Sheri's Chinese Chicken Salad (with peanuts), Sheri's Kung Pao Chicken (more peanuts), Janet's Ginger-Honey Chicken, and steamed rice. It was a wonderful feast.

Gung Hay Fat Choy!
(Peace and Prosperity!)


Pat's Birthday
In addition to our Chinese New Year celebration, we also celebrated Pat's birthday. Nicholas was very excited about "Uncle Pat's" birthday, so we practiced the Happy Birthday song over & over so he could sing it for him. And, Nicholas did a great job--too cute! I'm not sure if Pat heard him, but I hope so.
















Valentine's Day
What more could a girl really want on Valentine's Day . . .
I got my 2 favorite guys!

And, I got some pretty purple mums that look great on the kitchen sink, but will be able to live on in my garden, too.






















Jim's Birthday
On Sunday the 17th, we celebrated Jim's birthday with dinner at a local German restaurant. Everyone enjoyed the cheese fondue appetizers, which was good because it was a very long wait until our dinners finally arrived. But, as a surprise, the waitstaff brought out a "treat" for the birthday boy. Then, it was back to the parent's house for cake and presents.

My Aura is Yellow

You're a deeply happy and content person, and you enjoy sharing your cheer with others. While you may seem like a simple optimist, there is a lot of thinking going on inside you. The purpose of your life: bringing joy and a better life to others

Famous yellows include: Conan O'Brien, Jenny McCarthy, Jim Carrey

Careers for you to try: Athlete, Actor, Yoga Instructor

What Color Is Your Aura?